UT football: Longhorns open spring drills

After a disappointing 8-5 season, Texas will try to regain Big 12 confidence with new head coach Charlie Strong leading the program. Here is the Longhorn's 12-game schedule for the regular season.

After a disappointing 8-5 season, Texas will try to regain Big 12 confidence with new head coach Charlie Strong leading the program. Here is the Longhorn's 12-game schedule for the regular season.

Photo: Erich Schlegel / Getty Images

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Aug. 30 - North Texas at Darrell K. Royal Stadium. Time - TBA

Aug. 30 - North Texas at Darrell K. Royal Stadium. Time - TBA

Photo: Mike Stone / Associated Press

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Sept. 6 - BYU at Darrell K. Royal Stadium. Time - TBA

Sept. 6 - BYU at Darrell K. Royal Stadium. Time - TBA

Photo: Cathleen Allison / Associated Press

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Sept. 13 - UCLA at AT&T Stadium, Arlington. Time - TBA

Sept. 13 - UCLA at AT&T Stadium, Arlington. Time - TBA

Photo: Victor Calzada / Associated Press

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Sept. 27 - Kansas at Lawrence, Kan. Time - TBA

Sept. 27 - Kansas at Lawrence, Kan. Time - TBA

Photo: Orlin Wagner / Associated Press

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Oct. 4 - Baylor at Darrell K. Royal Stadium. Time - TBA

Oct. 4 - Baylor at Darrell K. Royal Stadium. Time - TBA

Photo: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images

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Oct. 11 - Oklahoma at Cotton Bowl. Time - TBA

Oct. 11 - Oklahoma at Cotton Bowl. Time - TBA

Photo: Sean Gardner / Getty Images

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Oct. 18 - Iowa State at Darrell K. Royal Stadium. Time - TBA

Oct. 18 - Iowa State at Darrell K. Royal Stadium. Time - TBA

Photo: David Purdy / Getty Images

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Oct. 25 - Kansas State at Manhattan, Kan. Time - TBA

Oct. 25 - Kansas State at Manhattan, Kan. Time - TBA

Photo: Orlin Wagner / Associated Press

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Nov. 1 - Texas Tech at Lubbock. Time -TBA

Nov. 1 - Texas Tech at Lubbock. Time -TBA

Photo: Donald Miralle / Getty Images

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Nov. 8 - West Virginia at Darrell K. Royal Stadium. Time -TBA

Nov. 8 - West Virginia at Darrell K. Royal Stadium. Time -TBA

Photo: Rod Aydelotte / Associated Press

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Nov. 15 - Oklahoma State at Stillwater, Okla. Time -TBA

Nov. 15 - Oklahoma State at Stillwater, Okla. Time -TBA

Photo: Brandon Wade / Associated Press

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Nov. 27 - TCU at Darrell K. Royal Stadium. Time -TBA

Nov. 27 - TCU at Darrell K. Royal Stadium. Time -TBA

Photo: LM Otero / Associated Press

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UT football: Longhorns open spring drills

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AUSTIN — Texas begins its first spring practice season under new coach Charlie Strong on Tuesday. Here’s a look at the 10 players who have the biggest questions to answer over the next five weeks:

Quarterbacks David Ash and Tyrone Swoopes: Ash needs to prove he can be relied upon after missing the final nine games of last season due to lingering concussion symptoms. He won’t get hit this spring, so even if he looks sharp again, the Longhorns will be crossing their fingers the first time he gets blitzed in the fall. Swoopes, meanwhile, had better show some passing acumen in a hurry, because freshman Jerrod Heard is on his way and will be itching to take his place in August.

Wide receivers Daje Johnson and Marcus Johnson: Jaxon Shipley gives the Longhorns a solid possession receiver, but the loss of Mike Davis means they lack a proven big-play threat at the position. Both Johnsons have shown flashes in previous seasons. Now, the Longhorns would like one or both of them to develop some consistency.

Offensive tackle Desmond Harrison: The huge junior-college transfer fell behind in the preseason last year while the Longhorns worked to clear up an issue with his transcript, and he never caught up. Still, Mack Brown’s staff believed he had the capability to become a star left tackle and an NFL draft pick, and he can start by proving he’s in shape this spring.

Defensive ends Shiro Davis and Bryce Cottrell: With Jackson Jeffcoat off to the NFL, there’s an opening on UT’s defensive line for a pass rusher. Because opposing blockers will now be keyed on stopping Cedric Reed, whoever lines up at the opposite end will have his opportunities. Davis and Cottrell had better take advantage of them.

Linebacker Steve Edmond: After 37 career games and 23 starts, he’s still an enigma. Edmond has dominated stretches of some games and looked woefully outmatched in others, and now he has to show Strong and defensive coordinator Vance Bedford that he can be a building block for their revamped unit.

Defensive backs Duke Thomas and Mykkele Thompson: Like Edmond, both Thomas and Thompson saw plenty of playing time last year. And like Edmond, the delivered a mixed back of results. The old staff raved about Thomas’ competitiveness and Thompson’s athleticism, but both were prone to mistakes. Strong and Bedford aren’t likely to tolerate such lapses. But just like everyone else on the team, they’ve been given a new start.